Does rollerblading wreck your ability to figure skate?

[Bunny_Hop]

I once borrowed a friend's normal inlines/rollerblades and found them really fun. It felt like skating (I love the feeling of skating).

I was wondering whether using rollerblades just for normal stroking and maybe some crossovers would damage my ability to figure skate. I wouldn't get the "figure" rollerblades like PICs because I don't want to use them to actually practise figure skating, just for fun. I think I'd find a good-quality second hand set of rollerblades and might remove the heel brake because I've heard it feels strange to figure skaters and is unnecessary if you can do a t-stop.

I also wondered as a side note whether spending some more time doing skating-like movements might increase my strength and, more importantly, confidence (which is my main obstacle in skating...).

Thanks!

[Ozzisk8tr]

No it shouldn't affect your ice skating. Yes do all the excercises off skates too, it's all training muscle memory. Also, pic skates are by no means the best figure inlines. I don't think anyone at the recent world roller championships wore them.

[Aussie Willy]

The difference I have found between watching those on ice and those on rollers is the way the skaters use their knees and ankles. I am fortunate to some times see the World Inline and Roller Champion Jayson Sutcliffe get on the ice and he is fantastic on both. But his knees and ankles are a bit stiffer than if he were an ice skater because of the differences in the way both types of skaters push.

Jayson had considered becoming a figure skater years ago. It would have been amazing to see him if he had carried it through. Such a beautiful artistic skater. And even at the age of almost 40 he can still do triple toes.

[Bunny_Hop]

Thanks! I don't think it sounds like rollerblading will be a problem, then.

[Bonita]

I can't rollerblade to save my life (which people dont' get since I'm a figure skater), but I have old-fashioned quad roller skates and love them. They actually improved my figure skating on ice because to me the four wheels were training wheels. I learned a back hydroblade on roller and a shoot the duck (which ultimately gave me a good sit spin). Like I said, not sure about rollerblades, but it can't hurt - it's all about balance on either. Both build balance skills and strength.

[dbny]

Roller blading should help, especially if you get pic frames. I can always tell when beginners on the ice know how to roller blade; they are the ones who don't toe push.

[Spazactaz]

No it shouldn't. I've done double axels in my rollerblades even... and it hasn't effected my on ice stuff at all I don't think.

[mmscfdcsu]

I can't rollerblade to save my life (which people dont' get since I'm a figure skater), but I have old-fashioned quad roller skates and love them. They actually improved my figure skating on ice because to me the four wheels were training wheels. I learned a back hydroblade on roller and a shoot the duck (which ultimately gave me a good sit spin). Like I said, not sure about rollerblades, but it can't hurt - it's all about balance on either. Both build balance skills and strength.

I wonder how he would have done on ice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aus1P...eature=related

[briancoogaert]

I wonder how he would have done on ice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aus1P...eature=related

This is an amazing movie ! I love it.

[Firefly123]

Yes, Jayson Sutcliffe is a roller legend. He is the only skater to win worlds on both quad (4 wheel "regular" rollerskates) and on inlines. He can also ice skate. Here is his triple toe on all three. Awesome!! http://<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4TYyRvnSbEY?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4TYyRvnSbEY?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

I did inlines. Be careful, there are some differences. On jumps the toe jumps were the closest, but roller skaters tend to slam the toe stop on flips and lutzes and lutzes are much different than on ice (it doesn't really hit a deep outside edge it is what an ice skater would call a flutz.) Edge jumps are also a bit different because, on rollers you can easily slip off the skate if you get too deep an edge. Spins are very, very different. I did a video about this for an ice fiend who wanted to try inlines. (Yes, I spin in the video....eventually. She wanted me to explain the roller entrance to the backspin. It is different than on ice.) http://<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fo9cNDOExdc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fo9cNDOExdc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

After skating on both, I think that artistic inlines are close enough to help ice skaters with turns and things like pivots and spirals, (and with endurance and leg strength since it is harder to push against concrete/wood because of the friction), but I do think that the jumps and spins tend to be a little different. Also, some things like flying spins are much different (because roller/inline must salchow the takeoff which is a big no-no on ice.) My advice is that you might want to invest in a pair of PICS or Snow Whites because they are made for artistic with a toe stops in front for jumps etc. These will also catch you if you fall forward on a step etc. I think it would be very hard to do any type of artistic skating (even 3 turns, brackets etc.) on regular inlines because they aren't balanced right. The artistic frames are different. There is a rocker like on ice to balance the skate. I tried regular inlines once and couldn't do very much in them.

[Bunny_Hop]

Wow, amazing triple toe loop video! I'm going to try out some normal inlines before I decide whether to invest in the artistic ones.

Thanks for the advice!

[Ozzisk8tr]

I just wrote Jayson and asked him to come on to the board. He would love it here. He is one of the most popular world champions ever as he is still so involved in the sport, including doing a feature documentary on skaters training for the world Championships called "Jesus can't skate".

[Ozzisk8tr]

Wow, amazing triple toe loop video! I'm going to try out some normal inlines before I decide whether to invest in the artistic ones.

Thanks for the advice!

Jayson said get Snow White inline artistic skates, not pic skates. Difference is like first class seats in comparison to economy seats.

[Wiery]

Do artistic inline skaters have more injuries than ice skaters? Just seems like it would hurt more to fall on concrete than ice...I'm actually considering trying the artistic inline skates because there's not an ice rink close to where I live...

Thanks for all the information, links, and videos!

[deltask8er]

It's how Tara Lipinski learned to skate, fwiw

http://figureskating.about.com/od/ol...p/lipinski.htm

[dbny]

Do artistic inline skaters have more injuries than ice skaters? Just seems like it would hurt more to fall on concrete than ice...

The ideal roller surface is an unpainted wooden floor. If you do it outdoors on concrete or macadam, be sure to wear all the protective gear, as that stuff rips your skin right off. Even a wooden floor can give you a nasty "burn", but at least it's fairly clean.

[Firefly123]

Do artistic inline skaters have more injuries than ice skaters? Just seems like it would hurt more to fall on concrete than ice...I'm actually considering trying the artistic inline skates because there's not an ice rink close to where I live...

It's great you want to try inline! Ideally, you can find a roller rink that has an artistic club ("artistic" is the roller way of saying "figure skating"), but sadly there aren't very many rinks that have clubs anymore. I found an outdoor skatepark, but that was very difficult to skate on because the surface was uncoated concrete. Indoor concrete roller rinks usually have a clear plastic coating that helps the wheels grip, (it also seems to lessen the impact a bit for some reason.) That skatepark was hard! Me doing the 2flip slam into concrete at 2:17. http://<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oFe1BR1EGr8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oFe1BR1EGr8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Also you have to be careful for skateboarders, ramps, oil used for ramps that gets onto the concrete. Rain, puddles, worms, broken glass etc...

As for the falls, I don't want to say they are "worse" than ice falls (have seen/done some horrible ice falls), but remember that there is no way for a slide to dissipate the impact so you are getting the full effect of the slam. I think they are harder in this aspect. dbny is right. When I skated artistic everyone always wore pads (that's where I found the bubblewrap trick.) Even the dance skaters! Any fall onto concrete/wood can scrape your skin off. Ouch! At the skatepark I wore bubblewrap pads over my elbows and knees. Also get crash gloves for your hands if possible. My hands got lots of burns.

If you like inlines and are lucky enough to live near an artistic rink there are competitions through the USARS (the official national roller governing body) and inline is offered at Regionals and Nationals. There is even a World Competition.

Inspiration. Jayson (of course). Perfect 3flip inline: http://<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KhDVKzapULA?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KhDVKzapULA?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Adrian Baturin's 3sal on an uncoated outdoor skatepark. http://<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ELJ_JULycsg?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ELJ_JULycsg?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[jjane45]

It's the other way around for me. After I started ice skating rather seriously, my interest in rollerblading totally evaporated. Rollerblades felt too heavy and clumsy, and imagine what happens when I absent-mindedly try to stop with the non-existent heel.

[Firefly123]

(Laughing) I still go for my toestop and end up catching the pick.

[Wiery]

The ideal roller surface is an unpainted wooden floor. If you do it outdoors on concrete or macadam, be sure to wear all the protective gear, as that stuff rips your skin right off. Even a wooden floor can give you a nasty "burn", but at least it's fairly clean.

Thank you! Yes, I will! I've seen inline skaters' "road rash" in the emergency room and it's nasty stuff!